Optical Node Packet Aggregation and Traffic Shaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical communication networks face inefficiencies in resource utilization due to constraints such as physical limitations and cost, particularly in managing wavelengths for continuous and bursty data transmissions, leading to suboptimal use of resources and potential packet collisions.
Innovation Solution
The method involves an optical node with an aggregation stage, traffic shaper, and destination queuing stage that aggregates data packets, limits packet processing to prevent overload, and optimizes queuing based on available optical resources, ensuring stable operation and efficient resource utilization by coordinating these stages to insert packets at optimal times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wavelengths are allocated for continuous transmission, then transmission reliability is improved, but resource utilization deteriorates for bursty transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic wavelength allocation where wavelengths are not permanently assigned but dynamically allocated based on real-time transmission needs. The optical packet switching system allows wavelengths to be shared across multiple destinations and time slots, transitioning from static continuous allocation to dynamic burst-based allocation, thereby improving resource utilization while maintaining transmission reliability through controlled access mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic time slot allocation where wavelengths are allocated in discrete time intervals rather than continuously. Optical packets are transmitted in periodic bursts synchronized with time slots, allowing the same wavelength to be reused periodically for different destinations, thus improving resource utilization while maintaining reliable transmission through structured periodic access.
2Reliability
If signaling mechanisms are used to prevent packet collisions, then transmission reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex electronic signaling mechanisms with optical domain solutions. Instead of using electrical signaling to prevent collisions, the system uses optical packet timing, wavelength division multiplexing, and optical buffering mechanisms that operate directly in the optical domain, thereby preventing collisions without the complexity of electronic signaling and conversion infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical packet switching system implements self-service collision prevention where packets carry their own timing and routing information. The system uses self-synchronization mechanisms where packets automatically slot into appropriate time windows based on their embedded timing data, eliminating the need for external signaling control and reducing device complexity while maintaining collision prevention.
3Productivity
If packet aggregation is implemented, then resource utilization is improved, but transmission time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary packet aggregation where packets are pre-grouped into superframes during idle or low-traffic periods before transmission. The aggregation process prepares packets in advance and organizes them into optimized transmission units, so that when transmission occurs, the packets are already aggregated and ready, minimizing the actual transmission time while maximizing resource utilization through pre-planned aggregation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial aggregation where not all packets are aggregated into large superframes, but rather aggregation is applied selectively based on traffic patterns and deadlines. Critical time-sensitive packets may be transmitted individually or in smaller groups, while less time-critical packets are aggregated, achieving a balance between resource utilization improvement and transmission time constraints.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for transmitting optical packets by an optical node (ON1) in an optical network (OR), said optical network (OR) being an optical packet switching network, said optical node (ON1) comprising a first optical transmitter (TX1) and a first optical packet insertion layer (OL1) cooperating with said first optical transmitter (TX1) and comprising a first aggregation stage (AG1), a first traffic shaper (TS1) and a destination queuing stage (D1), the method comprising the following steps: - aggregating of a first data packet (P1) to be transmitted on the optical network (OR) with other data packets (P2; P3) to be transmitted on said optical network (OR), said step of aggregating being performed by the first aggregation stage (AG1) and resulting into a first aggregated packet (AP; AP1) comprising the first data packet (P1), - processing of the first aggregated packet (AP) by the first traffic shaper (TS1), said first aggregated packet (AP) being provided by the first aggregation stage (AG1) to the first traffic shaper (TS1), said step of processing by the first traffic shaper (TS1) limiting the number of packets processed by the first destination queuing stage (D1) below a threshold, said threshold being determined from an optical transmitting capacity from the optical node (ON1), - queuing of the first aggregated packet (AP') by the first destination queuing stage (D1), said first aggregated packet (AP') being provided by the first traffic shaper (TS1) to the first destination queuing stage (D1), said first destination queuing stage processing the first aggregated packet (AP') according to a first destination criteria, - providing the first aggregated packet (AP') by the first destination queuing stage (D1) to the first optical transmitter (TX1), - transmitting a first optical packet by the first optical transmitter (TX1) on the optical network (OR), said first optical packet comprising the first aggregated packet (AP').